Am I a Fat Barsteward???

[flip-flop]

I went to the doctors this morning and he told me to lose some weight - I'm 5.11 and sixteen stone. I either cycle or walk to work, I play football and I play rugby. I am a big bloke BUT because of the sport I have always done, I've got legs like tree trunks and I do not have even a hint of an over hanging stomach or any love handles.

During the week I eat very sensibly (largely because after the birth of our child my wife went on the weight watchers diet and we;ve just kind of carried on with it), so tonight for example it is grilled turkey breast, pasta and spinach, and tomorrow its grilled salmon and rice. For lunch I have two brown rolls with ham and for breakfast a bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk. After dinner I have fruit.

I have never 'grazed', I have my meals and that's it. I don't drink during the week.

On Saturdays, me and my wife eat rubbish (usually a Chinese) and we enjoy a good drink, but that's just one day a week.

So my question is, is it possible to be 5.11 and 16 stone and NOT be fat? I certainly don't consider myself to be fat - I'm big, yes, but as I say, I do not have anything even remotely resembling a belly. When I told my wife her response was "exactly where does he think you should lose the weight from"!!!

This has been bothering me all day.

[flip-flop]

Oh yes, and to top it all, when I get home from work I jump on our treadmill for half an hour to keep my fitness levels up (at 35 it is becoming harder and harder to keep up with the youngsters on the footie and rugby pitches!!!)

[Loosehead]

Very possible, if you use the BMI scale then most top rugby players would come out as obese. Clearly that's boll0cks. The BMI system has been largely descredited in the health and sports world, only the medical profession seems to hang on to it. Weight is irrelevant it's body composition that counts. Get some of those scales that give you fat percentage, that's the figure you should worry about. Weight is purely arbitrary.

I too play rugby, you can probably tell what position by my username, I know exactly what you mean.

[zara 4]

Don't worry about it flip-flop,you sound healthy enough to me,you must have some muscle with all that exercise and they do say that muscle weighs more than fat so s0d the doctor,probably jeolousy!

[flip-flop]

Thanks - thought I was going to have to go on a diet!!!

Loosehead - blindside flanker myself, but haver to concede defeat this season and have started playing vets.

[jake-the-peg]

You can still be muscular and carry too much weight.

You heart is a muscle and can adapt to additional stress but some of your other organs (and joints! ) are less adaptive.

It's true that BMI is based on an average and a bodybuilder can have the same figure as a total couch potato but you shouldn't just dismiss it.

Have a look here it considers both BMI and waist measurement

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/923520512.html

They suggest that if your BMI is high (mine is too) you should consider a waist measurement of 40" for men or 35" for women as a warning sign.

If you're under that I'd not worry too much providing you're not getting joint problems or other health issues

[flip-flop]

I take a 36" waist trouser which are always slightly too big, but 34" is too small (why can't they go up in increments of 1 inch as 35" would fit perfectly?)

[alijangra]

You sound perfect to me. Your weight is obviously due to muscle mass. As long as your blood pressure, cholesterol levels etc are fine.

I get made to feel like a freak by my mates because I am 11st they think its way too much. But Im a size 12, 5'8", and quite busty (unlike them!). They dont believe me that breast tissue is very heavy!!

There is no 'perfect' weight for your height, yes you are outside of the 'normal' section on a BMI chart but I think its a well known fact that pretty much all rugby players are!!

[mimififi]

I wouldn't worry. As the other posters have said, the mail doctor was probably just jealous and so said, "Hummmmmm, mr Flip-Flip, I think you should be considering losing some weight" where as a femail doctor probably would have said, "Ummmmm, Mr Flip-flip: You look fine to me.......!"

If you live a healthy lifestyle and are not suffering with any other ailments, then chances are you are absolutely fine.

[mimififi]

obviously, that is supposed to read 'female' not 'femail.' sorry: long day for me.

[:Ace:]

These days you're over weight if you eat anything other than lettuce. It really is pathetic.

Of course you're not over weight. Back to Med School for the doctor I think. I'd say the amount of exercise you do and the sensible foods you eat should be a model to everyone else

[gessoo]

Would definitely say you are not overweight at all. You sound about right for a 5'11" rugby player. There was a programme on tele recently and about 75% of the extremely healthy team who all looked in really good shape came out as overweight according to the BMI scale.

Fortunately, I have a doctor who agrees with :Ace: and 10ClarionSt. Too much emphasis on actual weight and not enough on body shape, physical fitness etc.

One doctor I know caused a child of 7 to have eating disorders because he called him obese when he went to a surgery for an ear infection. The child was merely chubby and now, even as a slim teenager still has severe hangups.

Forget the BMI index, change your doctor and enjoy your healthy lifestyle. Good luck x